about maternal mortality in California. Dr Elliot Main, from CPMC in San Francisco, was the author and said that he posted information on his website about the study for the past year. This was a State funded study and has not been officially released yet.

- Nathanael Johnson, freelance journalist and author of the California Watch article on the study suggesting that maternal death rates have tripled in California over the last 10 years

and the quick take on this is that there are too many inductions of labor, which increases the likelihood of a c-section, which has a higher risk of morbidity and mortality for the mother, but exponentially increases at each subsequent c-section, because of the scarring of the mother's uterus. So there should be less first time c-sections.

There is a need for change in hospital birth practices to lessen first time c-sections, the report says. And on the KQED Forum one hour interview, other influences were also discussed: the higher payments for c-sections from insurance companies and the pressure to get a birth over with quickly as being more cost-effective for the hospital and staff.

But what rang true with me was the response to a nurse who called to say that women no longer believe in their capability to handle birth. And that the current culture supports speed, convenience and control, which is contrary to how birth unfolds.

EcoBirth wants to empower women to understand their capabilities- they need to tap into that fierce passion to protect their babies for themselves. Be strong, be fierce, be soft- all those things are possible.